Is the United Nations still relevant?

Is the UN still relevant? I'll gather the latest evidence on its global impact and challenges.

Is the United Nations still relevant at 80? The short answer: Yes — but its relevance is contested, eroding, and increasingly conditional on reform.

As the United Nations marks its 80th anniversary, the question of the body’s relevance looms large. Analysts describe a paradox: it is more necessary than ever, yet under unprecedented strain.

Why many still say YES — it remains relevant

1. It is still the only universal platform:
It is easy to dismiss the United Nations. But those who are inclined to rush to judgment should pause to reflect on the fact that its more than 190 member states... are sending representatives... to New York City for the 80th session. Even critics note that "if turning up is what matters, then the sheer popularity of the forum with world leaders is a clear indicator that the United Nations is widely viewed to be politically relevant".

No other body brings 193 member states together to shape international discourse, set norms, and legitimize — or de-legitimize — the use of force.

2. It retains broad public legitimacy:
Though the United Nations may not be a priority for Americans — and certainly not for the Trump administration — the United Nations’ image around the world remains favorable.

Most publics in the 25-nation 2025 Pew Global Attitudes Survey hold net-positive views. A Pew Research Center survey in September 2025 covering 31,938 adults in 25 countries found that a median of 61 percent of adults had a favorable view of the world organization, while only 32 percent had an unfavorable one.

That perception makes the United Nations a still-useful venue for international contestation — and a tool for nations seeking international power and prestige.

With the United States stepping back, China is looking to step up. Beijing's influence within the UN agency system has steadily grown, with 68% of Chinese citizens saying China's participation in the UN has been very important.

3. Functional work that no alternative provides:

Why many say NO — or “not without radical reform”

1. Paralysis at the Security Council:
The most fundamental challenge to the relevance of the United Nations is intimately linked to perceptions of its legitimacy. For many, this has been irretrievably compromised.

Of the five permanent members... one — Russia — has blatantly violated the sovereignty of Ukraine. A second — China — has refused to condemn this violation. A third — the United States — is seen to have hit a high-water mark in its hypocrisy by providing seemingly unconditional support for Israel’s atrocities against Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

In 2025 alone, the US vetoed multiple Security Council resolutions demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Ambassador Harish reserved his strongest criticism for the UN Security Council, describing its current structure as outdated and unrepresentative... still mirrors the power dynamics of 1945 and is ill-equipped to address the complex challenges of the modern era.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed strong criticism, labeling them as "almost irrelevant" in addressing global conflicts.

2. Budgetary and capacity crisis:
When measured by its ability to deliver impactful, material solutions... the United Nations’ relevance looks far worse. It has been radically diminished by the United States’ decision to delay critical budgetary support and put caps on its contributions to UN peacekeeping.

Last year was among the darkest in the history of the United Nations. Gripped by a budgetary crisis and unable to respond to catastrophic wars in Sudan, Ukraine and Gaza, the U.N. spent much of 2025 focused on internal reform.

The United States withdrawing from the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organization has disrupted progress on two of the greatest challenges for the 21st century.

3. Bureaucracy and accountability failures:
Critics cite peace-keeping missions marred by abuse allegations... Financial woes... bloated bureaucracy and that International institutions need reform. Bureaucracies must be accountable. Duplication wastes resources.

The reform bet: UN80

Recognizing the risk, Secretary-General António Guterres launched the UN80 Initiative in 2025.

The UN80 initiative focuses on three main areas: reducing spending at the UN’s secretariat, rationalising mandates... and slimming down agencies. Guterres has said UN80’s goals are centered around making the United Nations more cost-effective, accountable... and responsive.

Financially, the reforms bite deep. The 2026 budget, approved at $3.45 billion, reflects a 7% cut from 2025, with plans to trim the Secretariat's $3.7 billion budget by 20 percent in 2026 and cut 2,900 positions.

Proposed deeper reforms include:

As Kenyan President William Ruto warned: "The United Nations must reform to reflect the realities of our time, or risk sliding into irrelevance", a sentiment echoed by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu in September 2025 that the UN must reform or risk losing relevance.

Bottom Line

The UN today is simultaneously:

For supporters, incremental reform has failed and the Summit of the Future in 2024 generated dialogue but not transformation. For critics, the UN has become an anachronism: "The UN isn’t evil—it’s outdated".

Most experts land in the middle: Not irrelevant, but relevance is no longer automatic. Without sustained deconfliction among the P5, the U.N. cannot function as a system of collective security, and without UN80-style modernization, it risks the fate of its predecessor, the League of Nations.

Relevance in 2026 will depend less on whether the institution exists, and more on whether member states — especially the great powers — choose to use it.